Every year, at my parents house, we make Christmas cookies. Actually, my dad is the one who leads the way – he does all the Christmas baking! This year, I decided to try this simple recipe. I meant to post this last night, but I will admit that I messed up the oh so simple dough – I used whole wheat flour in an attempt to be healthier and the dough was like a brick, and tasted like well… wheat. I guess you need to put 3/4 cup whole wheat to every 1 cup of regular all-purpose flour…

Regardless, I re-made the dough with regular old-fashioned white flour and the cookies WERE AMAZING. We can’t stop eating them and I was trying to keep some to share on Christmas for our family party but it looks like I have to make another batch now that they are almost gone.

These cream-cheese cookies originated in Central Europe and are called “Kolachy” — a Kolach is a type of pastry that holds a dollop of fruit, rimmed by a puffy pillow of supple dough. All you need for the dough: butter, cream-cheese, flour (& baking powder)I used my hands to mix it all together until a dough formed.Split the dough into two round shapes, cover in saran wrap and place in fridge overnight (or just a few hours)

I only had whole wheat flour at my house so when I brought the dough home this morning,(I made it at my parents last night!) I had to use some to dust my working area — that is why there are darker areas on the dough. Yours will be one color if you just stick with the all-purpose white flour!I ran out of Apricot jam so I used Strawberry for the rest..yummm! The dough is light and fluffy and just melts in your mouth. Putting these pictures up is making me want another one (or 2 or 3!)